The 33-year-old, from Leicester, has recently left her job working at a global technology company. In the last year she has signed up for a mentoring scheme with publisher Penguin to write a book.

The Good Indian Girl's Cooking School, a work of fiction, is about a group of young British Asian women and their adventures at a cooking school.

In a recent press release about her book, she wrote: 'There is something fascinating about the impact of growing up with two distinctly different cultures but as an avid reader I struggled to find experiences and characters that I could truly relate to.'

She added that she wrote the book to 'share stories of a uniquely complex generation of British Asians and to play my part in bringing more female Asian characters into mainstream women's fiction.'

Paul Hollywood has been absorbed in a bitter row with ex-lover Summer Monteys-Fullam

As the 24-year-old, right, left the £1million mansion the couple had shared, fuming Mr Hollywood is said to have bellowed: 'Why don't you f*** off back on that horse you rode in on?'

Her Instagram also has a image of her in the Bake Off tent with the caption: 'Yep. That's me. You know, in the bake off tent wearing the bake off apron...!!! Chase those dreams folks because sometimes stuff like this happens'.

Priya recently posted an image of Penguin HQ and wrote: 'If you had told me a year ago (when I'd started writing) that I'd be spending the day at Penguin, surrounded by books and sitting with the CEO of Penguin UK for lunch having a good natter about MY book, I wouldn't believe you. Not in a million years.

'I've had the most inspiring and exciting day. To say it's been surreal would be an understatement!

She said of her Bake Off experience: 'I downloaded the application for Bake Off in 2012 the year I got married but I thought I would never get in.

'I applied again last year, and then this year I got in and it was so dreamy and unreal. I was in no doubt it would change my life. And it taught me to pursue the things you love, and you just have to go for it.'

Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding will return with Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith for this year's series of Bake Off as the new contestants are revealed

Cut from the same cookie dough: This year's eagerly awaited series is championing younger cake makers as the line-up is made up of seven people in their 20's, while the oldest contestant is 56, and the average age inside the tent is 31

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Paul Hollywood has recently been absorbed in a bitter row with ex-lover Summer Monteys-Fullam.

The 24-year-old ended her tumultuous relationship with the multi-millionaire Bake Off star earlier this month after refusing to sign a gagging order.

As she left the £1million mansion the couple shared, fuming Paul is said to have bellowed: 'Why don't you f*** off back on that horse you rode in on?'

The bombshell has threatened to sue Paul, and the pair have even been fighting over pets.

They met at the Kent pub, where Summer worked, at a birthday celebration for Paul's now estranged wife Alex.

The chef will be pleased to put the furore behind him, and return to the hit Channel 4 show.

They're back: The series – which usually sees only 12 hopefuls hit the tent to showcase their culinary skills – will be hosted by fan favourites Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig and judged by Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith

GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF 2019: WHO ARE THE CONTESTANTS?

Piece of cake: Geography teacher Alice uses her baking creations to to demonstrate natural events to her student

Sew in love with baking: Amelia is a sportswear designer who worked on her baking skills when she was at university

ALICE FEVRONIA

AMELIA LE BRUIN

Age: 28

Occupation: Geography teacher

Why Bake Off? Alice started baking at the age of 15 when a back operation for scoliosis left her unable to do sport.

She now uses her cakes in her lessons, demonstrating natural events such as coastal erosion and volcanic activity with her edible creations.

She said: 'To be on such a big show doing something that you are passionate about is a huge thing.

'I also felt that to be accepted into the tent gave me the confidence to feel that I could bake.

'It was a dream come true!'

She enjoys trips abroad, and is clearly making the most of her summer break from school as her Instagram feed is packed with pictures of her on holiday.

Age: 24

Occupation: Fashion designer

Why Bake Off? Born to a Caribbean father and a half-British/half-Polish mother, Amelia honed her baking skills while at university, baking for friends and college fundraising events.

She currently lives in London and works as a sportswear designer.

She has uploaded snaps of her attending a dance music festival near Leipzig in Germany, enjoying the sunshine in a London park and images of some of her bakes.

Five weeks ago she posted a photo of pink flamingo cake, and a friend wrote: 'Get her on the bake off!#justiceforamelia. She replied: 'Hahaha you make me laugh.'

She said: 'I have wanted to get into the tent since series one, it's still not sunk in, but it's a dream come true.'

The early bird catches the worm: Working early shifts gives Phil plenty of time to practice his baking

PHIL THORNE

Age: 56

Occupation: HGV driver

Why Bake Off? Working early shifts as a driver means he is able to spend the rest of his day cooking for his wife and two daughters as well as baking treats for his motorcycle meetings with friends.

Phil, who lives in Rainham, east London, regularly bakes four to five times a week, creating an array of breads including focaccia and brioche.

He said that he has 'yearned' to be on Bake Off for years and that a couple who are long-term friends of his will be very surprised he is in the series.

'They had been staying with us recently and said 'you make such wonderful cakes', but have never mentioned to me that I should go on Bake Off, so I think they haven't a clue that I would be in it.'

The way to a person's heart is through their stomach: Dan became serious about baking a while trying to impress his no wife, Laura

DAN CHAMBERS

Age: 32

Occupation: Support worker

Why Bake Off? Dan became serious about baking at the age of 21 while trying to impress his girlfriend Laura, who is now his wife, with a themed birthday cake. Dan, who lives with Laura and their three dogs, even made their wedding cake

The 32-year-old tattooed amateur baker, who made his own wedding cake, he has uploaded images on his Instagram of holidays to the US and Venice.

On his Twitter feed this morning, he simply wrote: 'Dreaming' after it was unveiled he would be taking part in the show.

Speaking about signing up for Bake Off 2019 Dan said: 'I have been trying for a few years now, so finally I am here. It's absolutely crazy, really amazing, I was so adamant to get on, it's very hard to describe the feelings, all strange and surreal.

'And then when you are in the tent it all feels normal pretty quickly.'

Mediterranean inspiration: Helena's Spanish roots will play a big role in her bakes

HELENA GARCIA

Age: 40

Occupation: Online project manager

Why Bake Off? Helena's introduction to baking came at a young age as she watched her Spanish grandmother in the kitchen, but it was moving to Las Vegas and living with a Mormon family for a school exchange trip that prompted her to start baking herself.

Helena, from Leeds, has her own costume jewellery shop.

With links posted on her social media accounts, Candy Candy says on its website that it is 'highly influenced by vintage and antique treasures with an added spooky touch.'

The website adds: 'Helena's interest in fashion dates back to her childhood when she would create her own accessories, favouring them to the traditional jewellrey available in shops.'

She said: 'I won a baking competition at work and that gave me the confidence to apply. Although when I learned that I had got in I had a bit of a confidence crisis thinking, can I possibly be good enough?'

On a roll: Jamie was inspired to make a plaited loaf following watching Bake Off

JAMIE FINN

Age: 20

Occupation: Part-time waiter

Why Bake-off? Jamie, from Surrey, who is an identical twin, was taught the basics by his grandmother and his parents, but it was after watching an episode of Bake Off and being inspired to make a plaited loaf that really saw his baking passion take hold.

On his Instagram account has several shots of him posing in front of the camera on social media.

One friend wrote: 'Let me borrow those biceps,' and another said: 'Go on son give me some more muscles.'

On his Twitter account, which looks like it has been recently created, he posted a photo of his fellow contestants and wrote: 'Absolutely mental I still can't believe it!'

He said: 'When they called to tell me it was a real shock, I really wasn't expecting it at all. But a nice shock. All my mates don't even know that I bake so they will get a shock to see me in an apron!'

Home grown: David's mum refused to buy bread from the shop when he was younger leading to him being inspired to bake

DAVID ATHERTON

Age: 36

Occupation: International health adviser

Why Bake Off? Having grown up in rural Yorkshire with a mother who would always bake and refuse to buy a loaf from the shops, Dan was inspired to bake as a child.

He became further interested in the art of baking after travelling to where he learnt to build an oven out of an oil drum.

The keen cyclist and fitness fanatic, said: 'I have watched Bake Off from the start, and I have daydreamed so many times walking to work about being in it for such a long time.

'And when I got accepted it was such a mixture of emotions.

'You feel like royalty walking into the tent, you have a runner looking after you, bringing you drinks.

'It's very different to ordinary life, and a fantastic experience.'

Hollywood fan: Henry became interested in baking after seeing Paul Hollywood on the way to school

HENRY BIRD

Age: 20

Occupation: Student

Why Bake Off? Henry became interested in all things culinary and baking at the age of 12, as he was intrigued by the Bake Off tent at the end of his road, he shared: 'I used to see Paul Hollywood when I walked past the tent to go to school in the mornings.'

Like many of the other contestants, his Instagram feed is littered with pictures of his bakes, and images of him on his travels, with visits to New York and Paris.

In one image, posted nearly five years ago, he poses with former presenter Sue Perkins.

He said: 'I have wanted to get into the tent since series two. They filmed it at the end of my road, so I used to see Paul Hollywood when I walked past the tent to go to school in the mornings, so I really got into it.

'To be inside the actual tent was totally wonderful.'

'I told Paul that I remembered him filming at Valentine's for series two and we had a chat about that and shared our memories of that time. So he knew I had come full circle and was now in the tent, and that was pretty special.'

Home is where the heart is: Michelle, who grew up on a farm, has been a lover of baking since she was a child

MICHELLE EVANS -FECCI

Age: 35

Occupation: Print shop administrator

Why Bake Off? Michelle, who grew up on a farm, has been a lover of baking since she was a child, watching her mother whip up traditional bakes.

She now bakes almost every other day, whether it is a loaf of bread or a dessert for her husband and teenage son.

She now lives in the seaside town of Tenby with her husband Ben and teenage son.

In a message to her husband on Instagram earlier this year she wrote: 'Not my usual sort of post....not baking related for a change, but....Happy Valentines Day to my handsome, hardworking, funny, caring husband.'

'My rock my world.'

Michelle and her husband have a printing business together. On the firm's Instagram page, her husband wrote on their anniversary: 'Happy Anniversary to the most thoughtful, caring, loving and just outright talented woman I know, my beautiful wife.

'I just couldn't have built our wonderful printing business up without her support through the years.'

Zen baker: Priya began baking as a way to de-stress and relax

PRIYA O'SHEA

Age: 34

Occupation: Marketing consultant

Why Bake Off? Priya started to take baking seriously 10 years ago as a means to relax.

A wedding present of a stand mixer seven years ago only boosted her passion even more, and she is known to toil for hours into the night baking bread.

The 34-year-old, from Leicester, has recently left her job working at a global technology company. In the last year she has signed up on a mentoring scheme with publisher Penguin to write a book.

The Good Indian Girl's Cooking School, work of fiction, is about a group of young British Asian women and their adventures at a cooking school.

Her Instagram also has a image of her in the Bake Off tent with the caption: 'Yep. That's me. You know, in the bake off tent wearing the bake off apron...!!! Chase those dreams folks because sometimes stuff like this happens.'

She said of her Bake Off experience: 'I downloaded the application for Bake Off in 2012 the year I got married but I thought I would never get in.

'I applied again last year, and then this year I got in and it was so dreamy and unreal. I was in no doubt it would change my life. And it taught me to pursue the things you love, and you just have to go for it.'

Mum's the word: Michael was shown the baking ropes by his mum

MICHAEL CHAKRAVERTY

Age: 26

Occupation: Theatre manager and fitness instructor

Why Bake Off? Michael was taught to bake by his mother using old, handwritten recipes passed down from her grandparents.

Born in Newcastle, he was raised in Scone in Scotland from the age of seven and later studied in Edinburgh, and he considers himself Scottish.

He has worked as a house manager for the Royal Shakespeare Company for just over three and a half years.

He has also acted in a short film spent 11 months as a Les Mills body pump and body combat instructor.

Photos of his baking creations delight his 453 followers, many of whom said he should be on the show.

Just three days ago, one friend said his cakes were 'bake off standard' while another said: 'Please go on Bake Off.'

Night time baker: Vet Rosie likes to bake through the night after work

ROSIE BRANDRETH-POYNTER

Age: 28

Occupation: Veterinary surgeon

Why Bake Off? Rosie's passion for baking started when she was given a baking book at the age of five, and it has continued into her adult life.

When she is not treating sick animals, she can be found baking through the night to unwind.

She recently celebrated her four-year wedding anniversary with her husband Lewis.

She regularly posts pictures of her beloved dogs and trips away with friends.

The 28-year-old graduated from Cambridge University in 2015 and finds time to bake alongside her work as a veterinary surgeon.

She said: 'The nurses at work are going to be so surprised, they will have no idea.

'They asked me the other day would I apply again and I could honestly and categorically answer, no I don't think I will!'

Taking the biscuit: Self -taught Steph took up baking after her grandfather inspired her

STEPH BLACKWELL

Age: 28

Occupation: Shop assistant

Why Bake Off? Steph took up baking when her grandfather inspired her thanks to his love of homemade bread.

Although it has long been a hobby of hers, she really became serious around three years ago and is largely self-taught.